Walleye Quick

Fishing Guide

Fishing Kits & Combos

v

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 Places to Boat & Fish

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Lure Quick Sheet
Deep Diving Crankbait Target near shore structural
transitions like drop offs and
Casting
points (8-15 ft). Steadily retrieve & cover water.
Add split shots for deeper depths.

Troll over expansive, consis-

Trolling
tent structure like mudflats
and mid-lake reefs. Use planar boards at 8-15 ft
and weighted trolling rigs at 20+ ft.

Neon Disc Worm Jig Great for targeting river wall-

eyes in back-water sloughs
Casting
with submerged cover. Bump and thud against
trees with this bright profile.

Jig in large 3-5 ft swoops in

Drifting
stained water to call in wall-
eye. More action drives the disc rings to vi-
brate, calling in walleye from afar.

Grub Neon Tail Jig Search for walleye in stained

water along rocky shorelines , Casting
ideally around points and bends. Feel the rocks
thump each time you drop.

Drifting Drift through elevated mid-

lake structures like humps and
sunken islands. Bounce right off the bottom,
pause often and twitch.

Paddle Tail Swimbait Swim 2-3 ft off the bottom

near shore, stopping abrupt-
Casting
ly to let the shad fall to the bottom and pause.
This motion mimics a wounded baitfish.

Great for clear water lakes

Drifting
when baitfish are balling
deep. Search for schools of bait in deeper ba-
3 sins, positioning your drift over them.
 Worm Spinners

Drift or slow troll (< 1 mph) along the edges of weed lines in
the Fall, or along mudflats and reefs in the Summer. For shallow walleyes
< 15 ft, use a walking weight to improve sensitivity. In depths > 15 ft, or in
a heavy chop, weight your spinner with a bottom bouncer.

Slip Bobber Rig

Set your depth by clipping on the
depth finder and submerging your rig. Shift the tie up on your
line until the bobber sinks 2-3 ft in the water. Bait your hook
and cast out. Let the wind take your bobber ~30 yds away to
cover distance. Any further and you will be set to the wrong
depth. When you have a hit, let the fish take the bobber all
the way down before setting the hook. Reset your depth and
change your bait every 30 min, and after every catch. See step
by step rigging instructions in the following section.

The quintessential walleye setup, Live Bait Jigs

jigging live bait along structural
features catches fish. Hook on a leech near the sucker to a
1/8 oz jig, or a minnow by the nose to a 1/4 oz jig. Fish in
10-30 ft of water, bouncing these baits along the bottom.
Let the jig hit the ground, lift back up and pause. Ideal for
rocky, muddy, or sandy bottoms without snaggy weeds.
You can pitch your jig by casting and retrieving. However,
the most popular method is to drift your jig along the bot-
tom. Start 6” off, lifting and dropping every 15 seconds.

Live Bait Rig

When walleye are too
finicky for jigging and finding them is a challenge, live bait
rigging is the answer. Drift your rig along rocky bottoms in
the Spring and muddy flats in the Fall. Keep your line taut,
feeling the bottom. Set the hook after 2-3 taps. 4
 Walleye Basics
Walleye are a highly sought after species popular in the Midwest, Upper-Northeast, and
Upper-Northwest. Emphasis on “Upper” locations - they like the cold. Walleye are known
for their challenge as a sport-fish as well as their premium table fare.

Walleyes are most commonly caught in the depth range of 13-20 ft, but their
Depth overall range is 7-30 ft. Their range is dependent on temperature, seasonally
and daily. In the spring and fall, walleyes will frequent shallower areas, spending the majority
of their time in 10-15 ft of water. Mornings and nights, when it is cooler, they will be in the
higher end of the depth spectrum (10-12 ft). During day, they will typically be in the lower
end of the spectrum (13-15 ft). Hot summer months cause walleye to push deeper (20-25 ft),
moving lower towards 20 ft at night and 25 ft during the day. When summer cools down into
Fall it is prime time to be targeting walleye. They are going to be ranging in depths between
15-20 ft and are feeding actively in preparation for winter.

Walleye most often

Strike Zone
hug the bottom re-
gardless of depth or location. Therefore,
your bait needs to be presented 6 in - 2 ft off
the bottom (“Strike Zone”). The challenge
of walleye fishing is being able to present
a lively bait within that Strike Zone while
depth, structure and general conditions
change.

Walleyes, near the top

Seasonality
of the food chain, re-
spond to the effects caused by the bottom
of the food chain. As available sunlight rises in Spring, plankton begin to activate, baitfish
spree on the new food source, and the shock to the food supply drives walleye crazy. A similar
effect takes place in Fall when the bottom of the food chain begins to regress, causing a flurry
of consumption before winter. Fishing for walleye is hot whenever there are abrupt changes
in the food supply. These changes occur in Spring & Fall.

Density of Walleye Population Finding structure is usu-

Location ally the key to targeting
walleye. The three most common structur-
al features are: shoreline points, mid-lake
humps, expansive flats & reefs. Walleye typ-
ically like to position themselves according
to structure features for ambush points and
navigation. The rocky points are your primary
location for Spring, deeper mid-lake humps in
Summer, and insect breading flats in the Fall.

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How To Fillet a Walleye
(1) Lay the Fish on its side
so that the spines are 1 2
facing you. (2) Locate the
side fin and slice down
from the side fin back
towards the spine, deep
enough to pass the meat.

(3) Turn the knife horizontal and cut front to back, just above the spines. (4)
About halfway back, poke the knife carefully through the fish and continue cut-
ting towards the tail. (5) Apply pressure, slicing back forth against the spine until
you reach the tail.

3 4 5

(6) Open up and carefully cut around the ribcage from the top to the bottom, in
an arc towards the belly. (7) Cut in a straight line along the belly until you reach
the tail. (8) Do not slice off the side of the fish yet. Flip it over, still attached to
the tail.

6 7 8

(9) Press the tail down with your fingers, slice down at the edge of the tail until
you reach the skin. (10/11) Lay your knife flatly angled towards the skin, and care-
fully shave against the skin back and forth. After the fillet is removed, repeat on
the opposite side.

9 10 11

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Rigging a Slip Bobber
1. Thread 2-3 ft of line through the slip-tie’s tube and slide the tie
off the tube. Pull the tube off the line, holding the tie in place.

2. Pull on both tag ends until the slip tie is lightly snug on your line.

3. Thread on a neon bead, this keeps your line from chaffing against
the slip bobber. Then thread on your slip float, neon side first.

4. Push your bobber against the bead + tie, tighten the tie tight
enough to stop the bobber but still loose enough to move up and
down your line with finger pinched pressure. Clip the tag ends
down to 1/2”.

5. Tie on your hook with a clinch knot. (See Below)

How to Tie a Clinch Knot

6. Pinch on a 3/0 split shot sinker about 1-2 ft above the hook so
your slip float stands straight in the water.

7. Push the slip tie up or down to set depth.

8. We recommend worms, minnows or leeches for bait.

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Working a Slip Bobber
The Bait Start with a smaller crappie or flathead minnow (2-3”)
hooked by the lips. If using a larger size minnow like a shin-
er minnow (3-4”), hook through the back body just before the tail. For leech-
es, hook right below their sucker. For nightcrawlers, halve them, hook the end
2-3 times over, balling it up, and then leave 1-2” of tail trailing at the cut end.

Place the rig in the water and adjust the slip-tie up your
The Presentation
line so that the distance is 1-2 ft above the bottom. This will
allow you to cast the rig to the area at your desired depth (most often 13-20 ft depth)
while also allowing your bait to present within the Strike Zone (6 in - 2 ft off the bot-
tom). Slip bobbers allow the bait to present itself in a lively fashion. Let your bobber
sit in the correct depth for 5-10 minutes. If no bite occurs, continue to cover more
water, check your bait, check your depth and repeat.

The Bite Walleyes will often perform their notorious “tap-tap” before they
commit to the bait. This will make the bobber go halfway under
on tap #1, halfway to fully submerged on
tap #2, and then a slow dive downwards
on tap #3.

The Hook Set Once the bob-

ber is diving downwards, allow the wall-
eye to take your bait for 15 seconds. Reel
in slowly, removing the slack from the
line, but not so much so that you con-
nect with the walleye immediately. Once
taut, you need to set the hook by pull-
ing on the taut line, raising your tip of
the rod by about 3/4 of a foot from the
current position towards your shoulder.

Clip a depth-finder onto your hook

to quickly set a slip bobber depth 8
 Fishing with Jigs
Jigging bait for walleye is the second most versatile setup and often the most
popular way to target walleye by seasoned veterans.

The Setup

Remove the jig’s eyelet paint covering the

hole through which to thread your line. Do
so by taking a similar sized jig and scrap-
ing the paint with the tip of its hook, re-
moving the base layer of paint. Pushing
through the eyelet with the hook, rotate
the piercing hook back and forth. Pierce
once more from the opposite side, rotat-
ing again to thoroughly clean. Tie your
line directly to the eyelet of the jig. Use a
1/8 oz jig for smaller profile bait (2-3”), or a
1/4 oz jig for larger profile baits (3-5”). Flo-
rescent and bright colors are important at
depths greater than 20 ft to call in walleye .

The Bait

Start with a crappie or flathead minnow

in the 2-3” range hooking through the lips
(closer to the head). A comparable ap-
proach would be a leech about 2” when
dry and about 3-4” when extended in water. If targeting larger walleyes, jigging a
3-5” golden shiner on a 1/4 oz jig is the correct approach. If live bait is unattain-
able or you prefer a more advanced approach, review the Artificial Plastics section.

Walleye lures and

rigs featured in the
Quick Guide can be
found in the
Tailored Tackle
Walleye Fishing Kit

9
 Fishing with Jigs
The Presentation

Similar to the slip bobber rig, your goal is to have the bait presented in a live-
ly manner within the walleye Strike Zone. This zone is roughly 6 in to 2 ft off of
the bottom (most often 13-20 Ft depth). If fishing from a boat, you will have more
control on depth. Drop your jig until it hits bottom, reel your line in 1-2 cranks so
you’re right off the bottom. Lift the tip of your rod 1 ft then let the jig drop back
down (jigging). Lift and drop every 5 to 10 seconds, keeping your line taught. Cover
water with a trolling motor set at .5-.75 mph or allow your boat to drift with the
wind and current. If you fishing from shore,dock or an anchored boat, cast your
jig and bounce it along the bottom. Make sure to pause 10 seconds after each jig.

The Bite

Jigging is an aggressive presentation. Walleye will still take the bait through a
classic “tap tap,” but half the time the walleye will smoke the bait with a straight
tug due to the lively presentation of jigging. Allow 2-3 bites for the walleye to
take the bait on a tap. If the bite is a hard pull, do your best to keep the line
taut, move your rod forward with the fish for a moment, then set the hook.

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 Crankbaits
This is your searching mech-
anism. If you have the luxury
of 2 rods it is good to have 1
set up with a crankbait and
another with a slip bobber.
If you are not sure where
to start, you can cover a
lot of water with a crank-
bait, then once you find fish, switch over to your slip bobber to key in. Cranks
are also a good option if you are fishing from a shore or dock and would like to
catch a walleye but are open to multiple species. This technique is most often used
for bass and pike, so you are sure to get a mixed bag when casting crankbaits.

The Setup
Tie a smaller snap swivel directly to your line, open the snap swivel and thread
through the crankbait’s split ring. Be sure to securely lock the snap back in place.
While you can tie your line directly to the split ring, the snap swivel helps prevent
your line from catching with treble hooks. Depending on the thickness of your line,
a snap swivel lets the crankbait rattle and wobble more effectively.
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 Crankbaits
The Presentation

The most common crankbait technique is driving the lure down a few feet, then
pausing to let the crank float back up (“cranking the bait”). This is best performed
in shallow water during the evening when walleye move in close. The other ap-
proach is a slow and steady retrieve, keeping the crankbait near the Strike Zone
as much as possible. You can get the crankbait deeper by adding 3-5 split shots up
your line in 1 ft increments. Once you hit the bottom, steadily retrieve, knocking
your lure against the ground. If you are fishing in 13-15 ft of water you can also troll
the crankbait behind the boat with no additional trolling gear. Let your line out for
about 50 ft behind the boat and troll at a pace of 1-1.5 mph. This method can be
done from a kayak or paddle boat as 1 mph is a common paddling speed. Trolling
at depths deeper than 15 ft requires more advanced trolling gear and methods.

The Hook Set

With this aggressive approach, you should be setting your hook on the first
sense of a bite. Either the walleye has clobbered it or hit the body of the
crankbait. You want to do your best to secure the treble hooks in or around
the walleye’s mouth. An immediate hook set is the most effective method
for both bites. If you miss, crank down a few feet and pause for a re-strike.

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 Live Bait Rig
This is a combo approach that allows you to cover a lot of water like jigging, but deliv-
ers the finesse presentation credited to the slip bobber approach. Unfortunately, this
technique is best served on a boat. All other tactics discussed can be used from shore.

The Setup

Minnow Snell: Thread your line through a 1/4 oz walking weight with the numbered
side facing down, away from your rod tip so that the bent foot portion of the weight
is arched downward. Tie your line to the barrel of a snap swivel. Open the snap swiv-
el and thread it through the snell loop of a live bait rig.

Worm Harness: Snap your worm harness snell onto a 1/2 oz bottom bouncer de-
signed specifically for dragging spinners along the bottom and spinning consistently
in the strike zone.

Minnow Snell

Bait Type

Minnow Snell: With a natural flash, the minnow snell is a monofilament leader
with a single octopus hook #4. Most commonly rigged with a crappie or flathead
minnow, thread the hook through the lips, enabling a lively presentation. This pre-
sentation is delivered by the bait itself, swimming 2-4 ft behind the walking weight
dragged along the bottom.

Worm Harness: This rig utilizes a blade and beads to add flash to a nightcrawler
dragged along the bottom. Worm harness’ have two #2 octopus hooks that fully
stretch a nightcrawler without risking a missed bite. On the first hook nearest the
blade, thread the head of the nightcrawler twice over to secure it. Allow the
13 nightcrawler to stretch out and pierce it once halfway down.
 Live Bait Rig
The Presentation

Minnow Snell: Drifting in appropriate conditions with wind and chop pushing
your boat at around 0.5-1 mph is ideal for spinning rigs. A slow drift can also be
manufactured by the lower settings of a trolling motor. The slower speed will al-
low you to cover water while also enabling the live minnow to naturally swim
around and above the bottom’s debris. Keep your line taut, feeling the walking
weight against the floor of the bottom to ensure you are at the appropriate depth.

Worm Harness: In order for the blade to consistently spin for flash you will need
to troll the bait with a trolling motor at 1-1.5 mph depending on conditions. Al-
ways maintain a speed that allows you to tick against the bottom with the bounc-
er. Keep your line taut, monitoring for taps that differentiate from bottom ticks.

Worm Harness

The Hook Set

Both rigs will have a similar bite and hook set. This takes advanced experience
as it is often confusing and difficult to differentiate between the weight knock-
ing and pulling against the bottom versus an actual walleye bite. The difference
is subtle and called a tap. A tap is an abrupt vibration through the tip of your rod
down to the line in your reel. While bottom debris simply thumps and pulls against
your rod tip, a tap can be felt in your reel hand as it vibrates through the line.

The first tap is often followed by a second tap, the “tap-tap”. When a tap occurs, wait
until the second tap. Once the tension peaks, set the hook.

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 Artificial Plastics
If you are a beginner, use live bait when targeting walleye. They are finicky and most
often need a very finesse, realistic approach. However, we recommend artificial plas-
tics for some common circumstances. Not everyone has immediate access to live
bait. Furthermore, some bodies of water have a bountiful amount of distinct species
that can pester your live bait approach. Sunfish and perch can often prevent any shot
at a walleye. Lastly, some amazing bodies of water have robust walleye populations
and utilizing soft plastics can help target the largest, most aggressive fish.

The Setup

Plastics should be used with jig heads so you can deliver the lure into the Strike
Zone. Apply smaller plastics (3-4”) to a 1/8 oz jig. Apply larger plastics (4-5”) to a
1/4 oz jig. Pierce the plastic from the base of the head, threading the body of
the plastic until the head reaches the base of the jig. Lastly, pierce the hook
back out through the plastic so that it lays horizontal with the jig head and the
hook’s gap is exposed. Tie directly to your monofilament or fluorocarbon line.

The Presentation
To give the soft plastic lively action, you need to cast and retrieve the jig. Find-
ing the correct cadence and speed is challenging. Try a variation of approach-
es while keeping the jig in the Strike Zone (6 in to 1 ft off the bottom). Let your
bait down to the bottom, then with a slow and steady speed, retrieve it by ticking
against the bottom. Alternatively, you can jig it in 1-3 ft bounces like a live bait. For
this approach, lessen your pause time as swooping action requires less down time.

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 Artificial Plastics
The Hook Set
Sof plastics are used to target the more aggressively feeding fish. Set the hook
immediately on big thumps and any double taps. If you get a hit and it doesn’t stick,
do not stop your previous cadence. The artificial will not look appealing if you stop
because you are creating the lifelike action through jigging and momentum. You will
land more fish continuing the presentation even if you lose some after the first bite.

A medium power fast action rod is importan for

monitoring the subtle bites of Walleye. Start
with a rod & reel rated for walleye fishing like
the Tailored Tackle Multispecies Combo.

Landing &
Handling
Walleye are a deeper fish species
so handling with care is import-
ant. Only fish for walleye deeper
than 40 ft if you are planning to
keep your catch, otherwise they
will likely not resuscitate. While
netting your fish, keep them sub-
merged, using the net as a corral.
Remove the lure while the walleye
is in the water. Try your best to only
keep them out of the water for 30
seconds to take photos. Do not put
your thumb or fingers in the wall-
eye’s mouth, they have razor sharp
teeth. Hold them by the handle out-
side their gill or by cupping under
their belly. To release, submerge
with your right hand under the bel-
ly, using your left hand to sway their
tail until they kick off on their own. 16